As many job seekers have discovered, many employers prefer to hire currently employed job candidates over those who are unemployed.  A matter of fact, according to a recent study, many employers told recruiters that they preferred job candidates who were still employed and not facing a layoff. Many employers believe that a currently working job candidate is probably a top performer because they have been able to avoid layoffs while their co-workers have become unemployed.  Many employers assume that still working job candidates must be team players, better able to adapt to change or too valuable to the company to be let go during a layoff, making them just that more desirable.  So how does an unemployed job seeker overcome the stigma attached to their non-working status?

Try to get letters of recommendation from your most recent employer.  If the employer attests to your quality as an employee and assures the new employer that you were not let go because of something you did wrong, it could go a long way in removing the unemployment stigma.

Consider volunteering your legal expertise or working as a consultant on a part-time or even freelance basis.  If you can remain active in the employment market in some type of way employers may not look upon you with the same wariness as they have for totally unemployed job candidates.

Make it clear to the employer that you are not “desperate” and willing to just grab any old job. Many employers fear that some unemployed job candidates are just looking for a position that can tide them over until the next best thing comes along.  You need to convince them that you are not that person.